


Well Excuuuuuse Me, Princess!

by musiclvr1112



Series: Completing the Compendium [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Distractions, F/M, Zelink Month 2018, break the silence, hyrule compendium, photograph, pre-Ganon, the great outdoors, well excuuuuuse me princess, zelink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-20 06:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15527814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musiclvr1112/pseuds/musiclvr1112
Summary: Written for Zelink Month 2018 Week 1: Well Excuuuuuse Me, Princess!Taking place before the events of the game, Zelda starts to come around to this annoying knight always getting in her way.





	1. Distractions

**Author's Note:**

> Zelink Month Day 1: Distractions

_Deep, slow breaths. Quiet breaths. The most stealthy of breaths. Be like a Sheikah warrior, Zelda. As silent as the firefly before you. Just…a little bit…closer…_

The unmistakable clamor of horse hooves on dirt ripped through her peace and quiet, and Zelda hurriedly mashed the picture-taking button on her Sheikah Slate as the fireflies drifting around the tree in front of her fled the scene.

“No no no no no!” she pleaded as she clicked furiously. But soon enough, they were gone.

Groaning in frustration, she stood from her hiding place behind a rock and swiped through the pictures she had managed to take. _Blurry. Blurry. Too far away. Blurry. Gosh, you can’t even see the fireflies in that one._

She dropped her head with a heavy sigh. She would just have to try again tomorrow night.

As she slid the slate back into its place on her belt, Zelda felt more than heard the presence of the person approaching from behind her. The same person who had intruded on her quiet night, interrupted her stealth mission, and who no doubt now planned on taking her back to the castle.

The same person who had done this _at least_ seven times within the past few days.

She spun to face him, stomping her foot into the ground and raising her chin in fury. Sure enough, the ever-unyielding blue eyes of her appointed guard were right there waiting for her, staring at her in that annoyingly passive and stubborn way they always did.

“Why must you _insist_ on following me _everywhere!?”_ she shouted angrily. What critters of the night were left in the vicinity immediately scurried off into the bushes. The knight, on the other hand, didn’t so much as blink. “Don’t you realize that what I’m doing is important for the progress of science!? All you do is get in my way—get in the way of _scientific research—_ and for what!? To _protect_ me? From what, the bugs!?” She gestured to the forest surrounding them as she continued with a bitter sarcastic tone, “Oh better watch out for that bladed rhino beetle over there; its horns might prick a finger on my fragile little princess hands!!”

Dropping angry fists to her sides, she stared down the knight and waited for a response. She caught exactly one blink of his passive eyes. Nothing more, nothing less.

Grumbling in annoyance, she stalked past him back to her horse, not-so-accidentally bumping his shoulder on the way. “Whatever. Let’s just go back since I’m sure you’re not going to let me out of your sight until I’m back in bed like a _good little princess.”_

Zelda had just mounted her horse when Link brought his trotting up beside her. She looked up at him in annoyance. What did he want now?

“Please excuse me, princess.” _Wait, did he just—!?_ “Guarding you is my sworn duty.” And with that, he placed a fist over his heart and bowed his head.

The princess simply stared at him, taken aback by the surprisingly soft tone of his voice. She had never actually heard him speak before, and whenever she had wondered what his voice would sound like, never had she thought it would be so _gentle._

She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She was still angry, but too stunned by the fact that he had actually spoken to come up with any sort of retort.

So, with nothing more than a grunt of acknowledgement, she started on her way back to the castle.


	2. Photograph

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelink Month Day 2: Photograph

_Okay. You can do this. Just don’t breathe, and don’t make any sudden movements. Veeeerrrryyyyy slooowwwwww._

Barefoot out in the field of plush grass, Zelda slid a step closer to the cricket as smoothly and silently as she could. She had never gotten this close before. The Sheikah Slate was poised and ready, her thumb hovering over the button, she just had to get a _little bit closer_ and—

Once again, the clomping of hooves scared off the subject of her study.

Zelda just about screamed.

Link wasn’t even down from his horse yet when she began her rant, stomping toward him. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to catch pictures of bugs!? Especially ones like the restless cricket, that jumps away anytime something gets near enough to see it!?” The knight blinked at her with big blue eyes, his usually bland face actually displaying emotion for once—surprise, it seemed, as if _somehow_ he could have _not_ seen this reaction coming.

Beside him, Epona whinnied and backed away a couple steps before he reached a hand up to soothe the horse, eyes remaining trained on Zelda all the while.

“I am trying, for the sake of research, to put together a compendium containing images of _every_ creature in Hyrule! In order to do that, I need to sneak up on them, and that is _IMPOSSIBLE_ with you showing up and scaring them off all the time!!”

The stubborn and passive face that he usually wore was back then and Zelda sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. She wasn’t going to get through to him and he certainly wasn’t going to leave.

“Look,” she said, tone hard. “If you must _insist_ on being here, do me a favor and stay out of my way. Go sit down, be quiet, and _don’t move._ Deal?”

He bowed his head in a respectful nod. Moments later, the man was sitting still on a nearby rock with his sword across his lap, azure eyes calm and watching her as they always did.

She huffed and returned to her task.

The next restless cricket really lived up to its name, refusing to stay still even as long as other crickets commonly did, and after four tries she decided to find another subject.

She almost managed to catch a picture of the next one, but while crouching down near the insect, a tall blade of grass tickled her nose and made her sneeze uncontrollably. When she finally regained her composure, the cricket was nowhere to be found.

Her next target saw her coming from a mile away and ran before the Sheikah Slate could even focus on it.

The following hour of her time contained only failed attempts of a similar nature.

Silent on the outside while fuming with internal frustration, Zelda crawled on her elbows and knees through the tall grass, slowly approaching another cricket. She could almost see the entirety of its figure in the screen of the slate, but it was just slightly obscured by one blade of grass. If she just reached out and _carefully_ moved it out of the way…

“Aggghhhh!!!” she cried as the cricket hopped away.

Zelda planted her forehead firmly on the ground and dropped the slate out in front of her, lying face down in the grass.

It was hopeless, even without Link distracting her. Even if she could dedicate all of her time to this instead of scheduling it around her daily prayers, there was no way she was ever going to be able to make a complete compendium. _Especially_ not if she wanted to include monsters as well.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a gentle tap on her shoulder.

“What,” she asked flatly, not picking her head up out of the grass.

“May I?”

There it was again. That surprisingly soft, gentle voice belonging to the normally steadfast, quiet knight.

She looked up in confusion to see him standing over her, one hand outstretched in an offer to take the Sheikah Slate.

She frowned stubbornly. She didn’t want to accept any help from him. She didn’t like him and she didn’t like that he was here and she especially didn’t like the idea of him succeeding in getting a picture that she had been struggling to capture for _over an hour._ It would be just like him; sweeping in and doing everything perfectly and amazingly and exceeding everyone’s expectations. His stupidly impeccable performance in everything had awarded him that sword strapped to his back anyhow.

She on the other hand was just a failure.

Zelda sighed. She hated to admit it, but with all his training and natural talent, he probably had a much better chance of sneaking up on a cricket than she did. If there was any hope of capturing a picture of one, it was more than likely with him.

She handed him the slate.

Then, to her surprise, he took off his sword and handed it to her before walking away to find a cricket. Was that…some sort of collateral?

She sat up and watched as the knight crouched down in the grass nearby and crawled similarly to how she had been crawling moments ago, balancing on his elbows and knees with the Sheikah Slate raised and ready to snap a picture. She held back a laugh as she observed the way his butt stuck up in the air.

Then she blushed as she realized that she had probably looked like that too.

He was narrowing in on the position of a cricket. He was going to do it. He was right there. Just the slightest bit closer and all he had to do was—

The cricket hopped away.

Link frowned and attempted to follow it, only to have it hop away even faster, now aware of his presence.

Zelda smiled and felt some of the tense knots in her chest loosen. She was glad to see this wasn’t a simple task even for him.

She watched quietly over the course of the next ten minutes as Link repeatedly tried and failed to capture a picture of a restless cricket. The longer she watched, the lighter she felt, and the more she actually started cheering for him in her head—silently rooting for him to succeed. He wasn’t _too much_ better at it than she was, but he _was_ getting closer more consistently than she had.

Zelda accidentally broke her silence when a cricket caught Link off guard, hopping _towards_ him rather than away from him. The usually graceful, composed, _fearless_ knight actually _yelped_ and fell backwards onto his butt.

She couldn’t help it. Bubbling, joyous giggles escaped her lips at the sight.

He immediately found his footing again, of course, and continued on his quest, but something was different. Zelda wondered if she imagined it—she probably imagined it—but she thought she might have seen the smallest, most _miniscule_ hint of a smile on his lips.

A few minutes later, the chase brought him over closer to her. She sat completely still, legs crossed underneath her with his sword in her lap as the knight crawled on his elbows directly in front of her. From this angle, she could just barely see the screen of the Sheikah Slate, and she found herself slowly leaning forward to watch as he zoomed in on the cricket.

She held her breath.

She was pretty sure he was holding his too.

_Click._

…

Both of them remained absolutely still and stared at the screen in stunned silence. Then, she watched as Link pulled up the picture he had just taken—the perfect, focused, clear picture of the full and uncovered body of a restless cricket.

The cricket hopped away a moment later as Zelda screamed in delight and lunged forward, throwing her arms around the knight’s shoulders and tackling him the rest of the way to the ground in an ecstatic hug.

“You did it!!!!” she squealed. She pulled away a moment later to let him sit up and took the slate back from him, admiring the picture. “This is incredible!! With your help, I might just be able to complete the whole thing! I wonder if you would be able to get a picture of the lizards too; they always scurry away before I can get close enough! And the fireflies too! Bugs that only come out at night are some of the hardest to get, especially since father doesn’t like me leaving the castle when it’s dark. But maybe if you’re with me, I could…”

Zelda went on in her rambling, a smile fixed on her lips as she entered the picture into her compendium and typed out the insect’s name.

Amidst her babbling, she remained oblivious to the knight observing her with a very present, very warm smile.


	3. Break The Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelink Month Day 3: Break The Silence

_Perhaps I should carry apples with me everywhere I go. Or have some rice balls prepared at all times._

Zelda tapped her chin with a pencil, thoughts straying from her diary entry as she considered her options. She sat comfortably under the shade of a tree while Link tended to his horse just a few steps away. Leaning her head back against the tree, she mindlessly watched him brush the dirt out of Epona’s fur and thought of more food ideas.

After learning that food was the way to Link’s voice, her thoughts had become increasingly absorbed with trying to break the silence between them even more. She had already decided that she would test her cooking skills and sit down for a delicious meal with him at least once a week in the hopes of learning more about him—where he grew up, why he chose to become a knight, what his favorite color was, etc. But it seemed that the two of them were spending more and more time on the road these days as they prepared the kingdom for calamity, and while the silence they shared on horseback had grown much more comfortable than it had been before, she would still much like to gain access to more casual conversation with him as they went.

Perhaps snacks were the proper answer.

Or maybe she really ought to find another path aside from food.

She sighed and enjoyed the soothing warmth of the air that day. It was one of those _perfect_ days. The ones that were few and far between, where there was just enough heat coupled with the gentlest breeze, not a cloud in the sky, celestial light from Hylia herself shining down through the patches in the trees.

Link’s golden hair shone like a halo about his head in that celestial light, as if nature’s own little way of affirming that he was indeed the goddess-chosen champion, true wielder of the Master Sword.

She smiled as she watched the champion—legendary reincarnation of Hyrule’s greatest warrior, the goddess Hylia’s preferred knight, chosen master of the most powerful sword in history—lovingly scratch behind his horse’s ear.

The bond that he shared with her was like nothing Zelda had ever seen before. Epona was a common horse like any other, but when under Link’s guidance, she performed like the purebreds in the royal guard. Unlike those horses however, she showed a level of affection and caring for Link that she had never known horses to show.

Even now, as the man did something so mundane and simple as brush out her fur, Zelda couldn’t help but notice the way the horse turned her head to attend to him wherever he went. Any time he was near, she watched him, and when he came close, she would bob her head, happily greeting him as would a dog.

She knew that Link liked to spoil her on occasion with apples, but this went much deeper than just a desire for treats.

She wondered if she could ever have a relationship like that with her horse. Though a purebred trained by royal guards, the steed she had been designated occasionally refused her direction, and he most certainly did not regard her as warmly as Epona did Link.

…Maybe that was her path in.

Zelda set her diary and pencil aside and stood, excitedly making her way over to Link. He paused his movements and turned to her, blue eyes curious and open as she approached.

“Will you teach me how to bond with my horse?”


	4. The Great Outdoors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelink Month Day 4: The Great Outdoors

_Please just tell me… What is it? What’s wrong with me!?_

Zelda stared absently at the fire in front of her, eyes focused on the dancing of the flames while her mind remained elsewhere—nowhere. She had no thoughts at that point; her thoughts were empty, still.

Raw.

She felt raw and dull sitting there in the aftermath of the night—exhausted but not tired and calm but not at ease.

Link returned and wordlessly knelt in front of her, a towel now in his arms. He immediately reached out to her legs with it, gently rubbing them dry of the spring’s water.

She watched with a blank, vacant expression as he took care to clear every last drop of moisture from her skin. It was far from his job description to tend to her in such a manner—he was her guard, not her personal servant.

But then, it also wasn’t in his job description to hold her while she cried over being a failure as a princess, unable to access her goddess-given ability even whilst praying in the spring of power. Yet he did. He held her until she was finally done crying, then carried her on his horse to the stable when she was too weak and unresponsive to ride on her own.

She had been sitting on the log outside by the fire ever since, lost in the void of her mind while Link boarded their horses, bought them beds for the night, and apparently even procured a towel.

What she had done to deserve a knight who would go so far for her she would never know.

A moment later, he stood and walked away again. Zelda’s legs were dry, though she was reminded with every gentle breeze that her dress was still damp. She hadn’t brought a change of clothes; they hadn’t planned on being there so late. They had arrived at the spring before daybreak that morning. She was supposed to pray and unlock her power by early-afternoon so that they would have enough time to get back to the castle before nightfall.

She was _not_ supposed to stand in the cold waters pleading with Hylia’s statue late into the night only to fail to access her power _again_ and have an emotional breakdown over it.

They were lucky the East Akkala Stable was so close.

She vaguely registered Link’s boots crunching on twigs as he approached again, but she didn’t pay him any mind until he was crouched in front of her, arms outstretched toward her with a pile of folded clothes topped with the Sheikah Slate.

She sat up and looked at him in silent question.

Those blue eyes were as steady as ever as he leveled his gaze with hers. His expression was passive like always, but something about it was very…comforting.

“Fireflies.”

One word. Just one word from that gentle voice, and he had a small, glowing warmth blooming in her chest.

The smallest of smiles made its way to her lips, even if her eyes weren’t quite ready to cheer up. She nodded. “Fireflies.”

Fifteen minutes later, Zelda stood in a small patch of trees up the road from the stable, now dressed in Link’s spare clothes—the standard set of Hylian gear he had used to wear before receiving the Champion’s tunic. The clothes were a bit too big for her, but she felt warm—cozy even—wearing them out in the cool night air. The soft fabric soothed her water-soaked skin, and the comfort seeped down to her bones, slowly easing her anguish.

She was keeping her eyes peeled for the distinct glow of fireflies when a light tap on her shoulder brought her attention back to the man standing next to her. She followed his gaze and smiled. _Target acquired._

The next twenty minutes or so were spent with the two of them trading off the Sheikah Slate in their attempts at capturing a good picture for the compendium. Unlike crickets, fireflies stayed relatively still. But they were _extremely_ observant, and floated away all too soon if they weren’t stealthy enough. It wouldn’t be a problem if they weren’t so small, but the miniscule size of the bugs meant that they had to get close in order for the slate to properly focus on them.

Zelda was watching over Link’s shoulder as he snapped a picture and pulled it up on the screen, only to find it identical to the countless blurry pictures of floating lights they had taken throughout the night. The man frowned and his brows pinched together in a scowl that she immediately recognized. It was the same expression he wore whenever they spotted danger up ahead on the roads. It meant that he was contemplating—scheming. Forming a plan of attack.

When the man looked up again, his eyes were hard with determination. Staring straight ahead at the fireflies, he held the slate out for her to take before moving toward them.

 _“Link? What are you doing??”_ she whispered urgently as he crouched down and crawled forward. Why was he getting so close to them without the Sheikah Slate? Didn’t he realize he couldn’t take pictures without it??

The knight didn’t answer her. Whether that was because he was ignoring her, trying to be stealthy, or just hadn’t heard her she couldn’t say.

She remained in place behind her tree and watched intently as he slowly encroached on the glowing bugs. His training surely showed in his ability to get so close without them flying away. He was less than a foot from them now. If he wanted to, he could probably even—

…catch one.

Zelda stared in amazement. Link just…reached out…and captured one…in his cupped hands.

A moment later, the knight stood and looked back at her, approaching with the bug captive in his palms. “Ready?” he asked, eyes lit up in excitement. _So that was his plan._ Zelda found herself smiling as she raised the slate to take a picture, his spirited energy infectious.

“Ready.”

He let go.

_Click._

The two of them stood for a moment and just watched the little light rise into the air before she pulled up the new picture. The firefly floated away to go rejoin its companions and Link drifted close to her side, looking over her shoulder.

 _“Wow,”_ Zelda breathed. She stared down at the picture in her hands. The picture that boasted not just a perfectly focused firefly, but also the mystical glow of that firefly as it illuminated the warm, gentle, smiling face of her personal knight.

She felt that warm glow mirrored in her chest.

“It’s perfect.” She raised her head to look at him then, and smiled when she found those blue eyes waiting for her, just inches away. “Thank you.” _For everything._

Pleasantly tired and humming softly as they walked back, Zelda thought to herself that she would be content to live like this forever.


End file.
